Fabric for concrete constructions



1111152119411.l w @MESv 2,406,559

` Filed Aug. 17, 1945 5 sheets-shed 1 FABRIC lFOR CONCRETE CONSTRUCTIONS Filed Aug.`1"7, 1945 s sheetssheet 2 W. OAKES FABRIC FOR CONCRETE CoNsTRUCToNs Aug. 27, 1946.

Filed Aug. 17,-1945 5- Sheets-Sheet 3 Aug. 27, 19,46. w, QAKEYS C n 2,406,559

FABRIC FOR CONCRETE COSTRUCTIONS Filed. Aug. 17, 1945 5 sheets-sheet 4 5 Sheets-Sheet 5,

Aug. 27, 1946. w. QAKES FABRIC Fon .CONCRETE CoNsTRUCTICNs Filed Aug. 17:, 1945 Patented Aug. 27, 1946 I Application August 17 1945, 'sefia1No.61'1,o16 j Y In Great Britain June V14, 1944v f (Cl. 'Y2-109) 11 claims.

of preformed units, and results in a structure l' which is composite, and thereby lacking the rigidity of a unitary structure. The present invention allows of the erection of buildings in a similarly-convenient or more convenient manner, but results in a unitary in-situ-cast building.

, -Foundation or from fabrics for buildings are known, ofwhich the most common examples are expanded metal and Wire mesh.v These, however, have the great drawback that, unless of a thickness and weight which would put them far outside the range of economic use, they are not rigid and therefore cannot support themselves. For example, if stood in a vertical plane, they would bow and sag and even distort themselves, if they did not fall down altogether. Also the sheets of material, being flexible are often difficult to manage, and the connecting together of -two .or more sections of such material, e. g. at the corner of a building, is an unscientic task, .usuallyl'finickin'g to perform, and even at the bestv a "merehit and miss attempt at finding suitable adjacent areas for connection together. l The fabrics of the present invention eliminate all these disadvantages.v They are of light weight, Well within the range of economic use, they are rigid, and are able to support themselves in any position for use, as well as being adapted for the additional uses (e. g. as shuttering) above mentioned.

A form fabric according to this invention comprises a panel (usually of metal) having weakened areas to form fold-and-break lines at spaced intervals across i-t, and having parts pushed out in opposite directions to form through openings along it, the pushed-out parts being such that two overlapping panels may mate together with the corresponding parts nesting one in another Whilst vmaintaining a, through opening along them. By reason of the weakened areas, the fabric may be folded to form corners, may also be bent to curved forms, without diflicu1ty,and may easily be severed by bending to and fro at those areas. The pushed-out parts, in addition to providing the inter-engaging nesting vlareas, give rigidity to the panel, to -resist crushing,and also to increase the relativeweak- 2 ness and easy manipulation of the weakened areas. The through holes along the panelallow of theendwise insertion of rods or studs or the like for the connection vof overlapping areas together. Y e

,One practical embodiment of the invention comprises a sheet metal reinforcement member and' foundation fabric having rows of close perforations at spaced points to allow of easy bending and breaking at such rows, andhaving parallelcorrugations or flutes at spaced points, each corrugation orl ute being intermittent, first to one` side of the sheet` and then to the other, so as to form a through passagev or tunnel along the sheet. Preferably the to-and-fro parts of one corrugation are staggered, with respect to those of the adjacent corrugation at each side. Also, the sheet is perforated at each point where to-and-fro parts of a corrugation or flute adjoin, and the ends of the ute vparts are ,cut at an angle such as to leave a transverse opening if and when the sheet is bent across the line of the corrugation at such point.

In the preferred forms of the invention,- the perforations and corrugations are in alternate parallel rows, each rowV 0f perforations lying between and parallel with two corrugations. Instead of there beingfonly one row of perforations ateach fold-and-break line, there may be` two or more rows. One convenient arrangement has a central row of Vdiamond-shaped openings and on each side cf it a row of triangularop'enings with their apices inwards. l Y

According to another feature of the invention,

in panels having side-by-side parallelrowsof` "Figa 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a l panel according to ons of many possible examples vof the invention; Fig. 2 is a side edge view of the same; and

Fig. 3 is an end View of the same;

Y Fig. 4 is a perspective View showing two over lapping panels connected together;

Fig. 5 is an end view of thev joint;

Fig. 6 is a, perspective view of a panel folded into zig-zag form for use as a wall reinforcement; 1 Fig '7 is a perspective View showing afurther use of the panels as areinforcement and as a. permanent shuttering for a wall; j

to form the outline indicated by the broken lines, whereafter the concrete filling may be applied. The fabric remains as a permanent covering. Angle pieces may be used in corners to connect parts at right angles to each other.

The invention is also useful for the construction of hollow floors and walls. In Fig. 14 a flat sheet of the fabric I4 co-operates with a folded sheet I5 indicated by broken lines, these being connected together where they nest at the parts I6, after which the in-situ material is applied to form the joists and licor.

In Fig. 15 there is the single sheet of material I'I to which are connected the channel-shaped members I8, the upper ends of which are again connected to the smaller sheets I9 whereafter the concrete or the like may be applied for moulding.

The improved fabric can be used for light studded walling bent at any given angle to form framing to support sheets of the same material which interlock as described, the piercings or perforations acting as key for outside rendering or inside plastering, together with screeds.

'I'he fabric may be sold in flat sheets or in rolls, and in any case can easily be broken up into small pieces by being bent to and fro along one of the bend-and-break lines, and may be easily bent to form corners and angles or curves.

Supporting piers 0r columns may be made by first breaking the sheet metal into strips along two rows of perforations, leaving an intermediate row between them; then bending at such intermediate row to obtain a right-angled channel form; and finally fitting four of such angles back to back, with intermeshing corrugations, short studs or longer rods being passed through the corrugations, to hold the angles together. 'I'hose studs may have heads or other obstructions to prevent their falling completely through the corrugations, and to facilitate their withdrawal, or they may be plain, and may be parallel-sided, or tapered.

In addition to its use as a form fabric to be encased in the applied concrete or the like, or as a permanent shuttering, it may be employed as a removable shuttering, in which case the rods or studs connecting the parts together will be arranged exteriorly 0f the assembly so as to be easily removed when shuttering is to be dismantled, and building paper or the like will be used to cover the inner face of the fabric to prevent the concrete keying into the openings I.

In an example of the invention, the corrugations arel spaced with their centres 1% apart, they are of semi-circular section wide, and the distance between the openings at the juncture gf the forward and backward parts is also 11/2. 'Ihe metal used is 2B gauge, the perforations are of hexagonal shape, with two sides of each hexagon parallel with the rows.

It is proposed that the sheet material be bent to shape on the site, as the structure is built up, and that the concrete, cement or other material be applied by means of a spray gun or the like.

As above stated, curved forms may be made with the improved material, eliminating corners, say at chimney breasts to prevent abrupt shadows. The fabric constitutes a self-measuring form material and can be bent and cut to shape on the site with unskilled or semi-skilled labour.

What I claim is:

1. A form fabric ofa single thin sheet of metal, having rows of close perforations at spaced points to allow of easy bending and breaking at such rows, and having an'imperforate `portion containing parallel corrugations or flutes at longitudinally spaced points, each corrugation or flute being intermittent, rst to one side of the sheet and then to the other, so as to form a through passage or tunnel along the sheet.

2. A form fabric according to claim 1, wherein the to-and-fro parts in one corrugation or flutel are staggered with respect to those in the next corrugation or flute.

3. A form fabric according to claim 1, wherein there is a perforation at each point where to-andfro parts of a corrugation adjoin, said latter perforation being at an angle to the plane of said panel.`

4. A form fabric according to claim 1, wherein the weakened areas and pushed-out parts are in alternate parallel rows, each row of perforations lying between and parallel with two corrugations.

5. A form fabric according to claim 1, wherein the perforations and corrugations are in alternate parallel rows, each row of perforations lying between and parallel with two corrugations.

6. A form fabric according to claim 1, wherein there is a perforation at each point where toand-fro parts of a corrugation adjoin, wherein there `are rows of perforations side by side with the corrugations, and wherein some perforations in each row are in line with the perforations in the corrugations so as to provide transverse bendand-break lines.

7. A form fabric according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of said fabrics are in overlapping relation with the corresponding weakened and eiongated areas in contact and rods for locking the same together through said pressed-out sections.

8. A form fabric according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of said fabrics are in overlapping relation with the corresponding weakened and elongated areas in contact and rods for locking the same together through said pressed-out sections, said overlapping fabrics being bent into a shape which is of the general outline of the desired structure.

9. A form fabric according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of said fabrics are in overlapping relation with the corresponding weakend and elongated areas in contact and rods for locking the same together through said pressed-out sections, said overlapping fabrics being bent into a shape which is of the general outline of the desired structure, said shape being filled with concrete to form a unitary structure.

10. A form fabric according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of said fabrics are in overlapping relation with the corresponding weakened and elongated areas in contact and rods for locking the same together through said pressed-out sections,

said overlapping fabrics being bent into a shape which is of the general outline of the desired structure, said shape a beam.

1l. A form fabric according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of said fabrics are in overlapping relation with the corresponding weakened and elongated areas in contact and rods for locking the same together through said pressed-out seetions, said overlapping fabrics being bent into a shape which is of the general outline of the desired structure, said shape a column.

WILLIAM OAKES. 

